4. Make sure hair is completely dry
This is extremely important! Just like every other style you try on your natural hair, make sure that it is fully dry before you take it down.
You can either spend a few hours underneath a hooded dryer* (if you want to use heat), or you can keep the rollers on for 7-8 hours to make sure that your hair is completely dry.
If you take it down before then, your hair won’t be as straight, it can still frizz, and it has the potential to ruin your style. It may be extremely difficult to sleep with rollers (Just think about how hard it is to sleep with perm rods* or bantu knots.. then multiply that), so you might want to try this style earlier in the day.
5. Preserve hair well at night
You don’t want to do a whole bunch of work to only rock a roller set for one day! To get a long life out of this hair style, make sure you take care to preserve it at night.
If you want to wear the style straight, you can wrap your hair at night and secure with bobby pins* and a headscarf. Simply use a bristled brush or Denman brush* to brush your hair in one direction until it wraps around your head.
This will preserve your ends and keep your hair from getting frizzy overnight. If you would like to maintain loose or wavy curls, put your hair into a pineapple and secure your edges with a satin scarf. To make it easier on yourself, invest in a satin pillowcase*, just in case!
6. Do not use too many products
The difference between straighter hair and curly hair is that straight hair can become weighed down from too much product, whereas curly hair can handle more moisture because our natural oils* have a hard time getting down all the twists and turns of our hair shaft.
All this means is that you shouldn’t use too many different oils or butters* while wearing this style because your hair can become oily or limp.
Try to use your moisturizers and sealants before using this style, and maybe apply more every few days after your roller set. This way your hair can still be taken care of and you won’t have to sacrifice the look for health.
A roller set can be a fun way to change up styles in a hair regimen, and it’s probably overlooked by many women with natural hair. Personally, I think it’s fun and safe, and I’ll definitely start doing this as a way to stretch my curls without heat.
I agree. Roller sets can be a god send for stretching the hair. I personally like to use Joico Smoothing Balm rather than setting lotion. I apply this to damp hair after washing and then put in the rollers. The hair can feel crunchy when taking the rollers out but don’t let this put you off. All you need to do is comb through the hair and it amazingly becomes soft and smooth again. I am mixed race with relaxed hair (Phytospecific Relaxer) and this is just one of the ways I style my hair. Try it!!!